Update: Acres burned in Madera County grows to 22.2, Hills Fire now 60% contained

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Updated: 10:07 a.m. June 19

First discovered: 18 hours ago, 3:14 p.m. June 18

Initial location: Avenue 11, Rolling Hills, Madera County, Calif.

Fire unit: Cal Fire Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit

Fire type: Wildfire

Fire name: Hills Fire

Hills Fire initially started 3:14 p.m. June 18 on Avenue 11, Rolling Hills in Madera County, California.

It has burned 22.2 acres after being active for 18 hours, an increase of twelve acres since the last update. A fire crew of 25 succeeded in containing 60% of the fire as of Friday morning. The cause of it remains under investigation.

Among other resources, two engines have also been assigned to fight the wildfire. According to Cal Fire, "Numerous firefighting air tankers from throughout the State are flying fire suppression missions as conditions allow."

Fire containment

Interpreting what 60% containment means

Containment indicates what percentage of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line. In this case, it means that 60% of the wildfire is contained from spreading, while 40% is still uncontrolled.

Containment is part of a larger plan for managing a wildfire. It is normally expressed as a percentage and it refers to how much of the fire perimeter has been surrounded/enclosed by a control line that firefighters create. The containment percentage indicates a certain level of control, but it doesn't always correlate to safety level. Also, it's important to note that containment doesn't mean a fire is out.

How is containment measured?

The incident's central command constantly receives progress reports from firefighters on the ground. As the fireline is constructed, inspected or reinforced, mappers record those details to adjust the containment percentage. The percentage tells the public how much of the fire perimeter is believed to not go beyond the control lines.

Source: Cal Fire

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This story was originally published June 19, 2026 at 10:27 AM.